Page 22 of Forever Love-Reimagined

“Fucking hell!” I clutched my phone to my chest as Haley popped around the corner. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I scared the hell out of you? You came into the studio, talking to yourself, when you don’t even have an appointment for another,” she glanced down at her watch, “hour. I fail to see how it was me who did the scaring.”

“Right, but I had told you to take the morning off.”

“It’s eleven o’clock, boss. I did take the morning off.” She continued setting up the camera for our shoot later. “But are you okay after your dream? Is it that girl you were talking about?” She seemed much more candid, and I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.

“No. I don’t even know if that woman is real. I was talking about Shanny.”

“That girl is one hundred percent real. You didn’t make her up in your mind. You had a physical run-in with her. She probably lives in New York. You’re going to find her.” She did live in a dream world.

“Okay. Let’s take this optimism down a notch. I’m not sure if I want to find her. What am I supposed to do if I did? It’s not like I’m in the market for a relationship. Maybe we would have a great night together, but then what? I would keep dreaming about her for the rest of my life? It would be better if I washed my hands of this and moved on.”

“Just remember this: there are no accidents in life. Your canvas is being painted as we speak, and you have to trust that a masterpiece is unfolding.”

“I’m going out on a limb here. Did you make up with Adam?” She was far too upbeat about my love life not to have a fairy tale of her own.

“As a matter of fact, we did. And you were right. I might have overreacted. When I asked him about it, he said he was watching for ideas for us. He worried I wasn’t getting as much out of sex as he was, and he wanted to see if different positions might work better. So, it was kinda sweet.”

That sounded like a lie, but I wouldn’t be the one to burst her happiness bubble. “See, I told you. You just needed to talk.”

“I’m not going to go into detail, but let’s say I did much more than talk.” She appeared flush from telling me this secret or remembering the event.

“Yes, definitely keep the specifics to yourself. But I do care about you, Hales. And I want the best for you.” I strolled over, hugged her around the shoulder, and squeezed her tight like I would my kid sister.

“And I care about you. That’s why I’ll pray your dream woman becomes a reality.” Her sincerity was heartwarming, but I didn’t need any manifestation on my part.

I was more than capable of creating my own happy ending. “Do whatever floats your boat. I’m going to grab the lenses I need for the first shoot. Is there anything else you want me to bring up?”

“Nope, I got it under control. I pulled the outfits Mrs. Wilson said she wanted to use for her husband’s calendar.”

I picked up the scantily clad Game-of-Thrones-type costume. “Well, this should be interesting.”

“I wish I had the confidence to do something like this for Adam. He would love it.”

I stared quizzically at Haley. She was in her early thirties at the latest and drop-dead gorgeous. I couldn’t imagine why she wouldn’t have the confidence.

“Hales, you need to be more self-assured. You could have any man or woman you wanted.” I wasn’t sure why I threw that in there, but she appeared offended.

“First of all, I’m 100% straight. And secondly, the only person I want is Adam.”

“Okay. But no one is 100% anything. Sexuality is fluid. Definitives are lies we tell ourselves.” I tapped my finger to my temple as if I’d dropped a nugget of knowledge.

“So you’d sleep with a man, then?” Damn, she got me there.

“Touche. But you have to admit, women are like works of art.”

“I can admit if a woman is attractive, but that doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her. Therefore, I’m not fluid.” She seemed certain of that, and I dropped it because I could admit when I was uncertain. “Now, why don’t you check your lighting because the client will be here shortly.” She spun on her heel and headed toward the desk.

I engaged my filters and strategically positioned the reflector to create the perfect ambiance for the shoot. By the time I finished, the bells rang out over the door as who I assumed was Mrs. Wilson walked in. She was probably in her midsixties, wearing a trench coat. I smiled to myself because this would be a fun session.

After twelve costume changes, including wigs, we had over a thousand pictures for her to choose from. As one of my more mature subjects, she sure was up for anything and flexible enough for many different poses. I was excited to go through and edit these pictures and get the perfect calendar put together.

“Mrs. Wilson, I had a great time. I hope you’re as happy with how they turn out as I have been taking them. I’ll get them edited and have a spread for you to choose from in two weeks. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?”

“Honey, after what we’ve been through, Mrs. Wilson is way too formal. Please call me Joan. I’m so excited to see Johnny’s face when he looks at what we did. I hope it doesn’t send him to the hospital.” She cackled as she batted my arm. She was a feisty little thing.

“Well, I hope they’re everything you wanted and more. I can’t wait to start reviewing them. Haley will call when they’re done, and we can schedule a time for you to review them.” I ushered her toward the door because I was running a little late with her session going an hour over schedule, but I couldn’t stop when we were in the groove. Even though this was a job, I was still an artist at heart, and I couldn’t rush that.

---